CHAPTER 201: A FIERCE BATTLE (1)

"I am the one you’ve been seeking, Your Highness the Prince..."

Nolan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared intently at the black-cloaked man.

"Do you recognize me?" he asked cautiously.

"Hahaha!" The man burst out laughing. "Of course I know you, Your Highness. How could I not? You are the most infamous trash prince in the Great Velmora Empire—no, even neighboring kingdoms and empires know your name. If I’m not mistaken, you have countless nicknames—one of them being the wild prince who doesn’t follow the rules, right?"

Nolan’s expression darkened at the mockery. A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

The black-cloaked man noticed it anyway, and the faint smile on his lips widened.

"By the way, Your Highness," the man said, folding his arms across his chest, "I didn’t expect you to possess such extraordinary strength. Have you been hiding it all this time?"

His eyes, sharp with curiosity and caution, narrowed at Nolan. In truth, he was genuinely surprised to learn the identity of the attacker who had assaulted his castle. At first, he had assumed it was some unknown strongman.

What he hadn’t expected was that the culprit was Nolan—the so-called trash prince of the Great Velmora Empire. His power was nothing short of extraordinary.

His monsters, strong enough to overwhelm trained soldiers, had been completely defeated.

Unsurprisingly, the result left him both astonished and curious. Had he not witnessed it firsthand, he would have never believed it.

"So, what now? Are you planning to reveal this to everyone?" Nolan asked coldly.

"Reveal it?" The man shook his head. "How could I? It wouldn’t accomplish anything, and honestly, I don’t care. Besides, as a member of the Underworld Gate, no one would believe me anyway."

Nolan sensed the honesty behind the words and let out a quiet sigh of relief. The man noticed this, and a faint amusement flickered across his face.

This prince is... truly interesting,

he muttered to himself, chuckling softly.

Judging from Nolan’s demeanor, he was clearly cautious—most likely terrified that his secret might be exposed.

"Then tell me—what is your purpose in all this?" Nolan’s gaze was cold and unwavering. "Why are you controlling that sea monster and wreaking havoc in the eastern region? Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?"

"Purpose, huh?" The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "At first, I had no intention of telling you. But since you’ve survived the monsters I sent after you, I suppose I can be honest. The truth is... I did all of this for vengeance."

His voice grew cold, laced with deadly intent.

"Back then, when your father, the Emperor, ordered the hunt for the members of the Underworld Gate, the Austin family became the executioner’s sword. They sent tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of witches to wipe us out. As a result, those closest to me—friends and family—were slaughtered."

His hands clenched tightly, his body trembling violently. "Fortunately, I managed to escape and became the sole survivor. From that day on, I’ve trained relentlessly to reach the level I am at now. I vowed to reduce the Austin family, the eastern region, and the Imperial family to ashes!"

His hatred was indescribable. To watch friends and family murdered before your eyes was a torment no one could endure.

Yet that no longer mattered. Now, he held the power to shape his own fate—and the fate of everyone else.

He would wield it to avenge his fallen loved ones, in a way far more cruel than anything they had done.

What a powerful aura of resentment... Nolan whispered, wide-eyed with shock.

An aura of resentment was the negative energy released by someone who had suffered immense trauma. He could feel that the man’s aura was overwhelming—like a raging tornado.

No wonder he dared to do this, Nolan muttered, shaking his head. Unfortunately for him, he met me. His fate is sealed.

As Nolan lingered in thought, the man took a deep breath and returned to his playful demeanor.

"Very well, Your Highness. I must admit, you truly surprised me. I didn’t expect you to possess such strength," he said casually. "However, you’re quite unlucky to have stepped into my territory. Now, let’s begin the show!"

With that, he clapped his hands twice.

Clap! Clap!

Rumble!

The ground shook violently, as if a massive earthquake had struck. Nolan quickly bent his knees to stabilize himself, adopting a vigilant stance.

Suddenly, the floor beneath him lifted, and the hall seemed to triple in size.

Minutes later, the shaking subsided, but the scene around Nolan had completely changed.

The grand hall had transformed into a colossal arena.

Nolan stood at the center, surrounded by rows of clay bleachers.

High above, the man sat on a gleaming golden throne, one leg folded, his cheek resting casually on his palm.

His gaze was locked on Nolan, a mocking smile playing across his lips.

"Now, let the show begin!" he shouted, clapping his hands.

Clap!

Bang!

From the iron gate on the right, a monster lunged forward. It resembled a dog—but with three heads. Its enormous body towered ten meters high.

Its black fur looked soft at first, but every strand was sharp, like blades. Fangs jutted from its mouth, and thick saliva dripped nonstop from its jaws.

Its claws were just as deadly as its teeth, ready to kill anyone in their path.

"Your Highness, killing you outright would be no fun," the man said with a quiet laugh. "I thought of something more entertaining—facing my collection of monsters in combat. Don’t worry, I’m not cruel. Defeat all my monsters, and I’ll let you go. Fail... and well..."

His words trailed off, but even the dumbest person could grasp their meaning.

"You..." Nolan growled, his gaze sharp with anger.

The reaction only amused the man further. Beyond the Austin family, he also hated the Lorians. If it weren’t for them, his friends and family would still be alive.

Torturing a member of the Imperial family had been a long-held dream.

Argh!

The dog monster let out a hoarse roar that echoed in all directions. Its ferocious expression twisted as it lunged at Nolan, every muscle radiating murderous intent.

Nolan didn’t dare act rashly. As the beast charged, he bent his knees and leapt twelve meters into the air.

Then he clenched his fist and drove it into one of the monster’s heads with devastating force.

Boom!

The blow obliterated the head, its insides splattering everywhere.

Since the creature had three heads, losing one didn’t kill it.

Still, the pain made the remaining two heads howl in agony.

What a powerful strike, the man muttered, impressed. It seems I underestimated him slightly...